Maroon Oriole

About the Maroon Oriole

The maroon oriole (Oriolus traillii) is a species of bird in the family Oriolidae. It is found in Southeast Asia. The maroon oriole was originally described in the genus Pastor. Along with the black, black-and-crimson and silver orioles, it belongs to a clade of red and black orioles.

Four subspecies are recognised: O. t. traillii – (Vigors, 1832) occurs from the Himalayas to southern China, northern Indochina and northern Thailand O. t. ardens – (R. Swinhoe, 1862) occurs in Taiwan O. t. nigellicauda – (Swinhoe, 1870) occurs on Hainan

O. t. robinsoni – Delacour, 1927 occurs in southern Indochina The silver oriole of southern China was originally described by Stresemann as another subspecies of maroon oriole, but is now treated as a separate species; it is very similar, except that the red in the body plumage of the maroon oriole is replaced by silvery white. Genetic evidence has now shown that Stresemann's original assessment was accurate, with silver oriole genetically embedded among the subspecies of maroon oriole; the nominate subspecies of maroon oriole is more closely related to silver oriole, than it is to any of the other maroon oriole subspecies. Wikipedia →